NEW CITY - After seeing all the problems in the world, Andre Agassi said he was faced with a choice - sit and complain about it or act.

"Saying you care is one thing, but sooner or later caring has to become doing," Agassi said.

Andre Agassi plays an exhibition match at the
Kennedy Funding Invitational in New City yesterday.

So the tennis great started his own foundation, which built a free charter school in a poverty-striken area of Las Vegas. That philanthropic spirit also brought Agassi, 39, to Rockland County yesterday for the Kennedy Funding Invitational, a tennis event that raised $500,000 for the breast-care centers at Englewood and Nyack hospitals.

"To come here and help do something that gives back to those that have been afflicted with that disease is important to me," said Agassi, whose mother and sister are breast-cancer survivors.

Agassi defeated Justin Gimelstob in a charity exhibition match, spoke at a sponsors luncheon and hit around with high-end donors for an hour at Dellwood Country Club.

"It's intimidating," said New City resident Mark Geller, who played with Agassi. "You always want to see what the top was like, and I saw the top, and there's a very big spread between here and there. But it was a lot of fun, he's very gracious and he didn't hurt me."

Playing Gimelstob in front of 1,350 people, a good-natured Agassi lost the first set 6-3, won the second 6-3 and then took a super tiebreaker 12-10 to decide the 90-minute match.

"It's unique for anybody to see him anywhere, but for Rockland County it was extraordinarily special," Geller said.

The KFI has raised $2.5 million over the past four years, which has helped Nyack Hospital buy Rockland County's first digital mammography units and expand The Breast Center. The hospital will soon purchase state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment.

"Rockland County has probably the highest rate of breast cancer in New York state, so we're sensitive to the disease," said Geller, who is the director of radiology at Nyack. "We completely renovated our breast program by virtue of this event."

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During Agassi's press conference, he left no doubt who he thought was better, Roger Federer or Pete Sampras. Federer surpassed Sampras' Grand Slam record last July 5 at Wimbledon.

"I played Federer in the finals of the U.S. Open, and strictly from being on the court, what he brings to the table is simply unmatched by anybody I've ever competed against," Agassi said. "Pete got to the semis of the French Open once. Federer would have had five French Open championships if it wasn't for one freak of nature from Majorca (Rafael Nadal). His records and accomplishments are unimaginable for someone like myself."

Agassi also said it was clear how much better today's players are than in his era.

"Every sport that you can measure accomplishments, whether it's how much weight you can lift or how fast you can run or how high you can jump, we've seen athletes get stronger, get better," Agassi said. "I watch these guys play from my living room, and I thank God I don't play anymore."

Agassi was the third straight tennis legend to come to Dellwood for the event, following Sampras in 2007 and John McEnroe last year. Tournament director James Miller was already mulling options for next year, deciding whether to focus on the men's and women's tournaments by increasing prize money and installing hard courts, or going for celebrities such as the Williams sisters.

"But at the end of the day I'm positive we're going to come up with something that's going to knock everyone's socks off," Miller said.

Note: Melanie Oudin won the $12,500 women's tournament, defeating West Rock Tennis Club instructor Lauren Cash 6-1, 6-0. Oudin, 17, jumped from No. 124 to No. 70 in the world rankings after making the fourth round of Wimbledon.

Andre Agassi’s "Image is Everything" campaign still reigns supreme as the sellout crowd of 2,000 at Breakers Stadium at Newport Beach Country Club greeted his pre-match introduction with a standing ovation. However, the lasting image upon the conclusion of Friday’s Advanta World TeamTennis Pro League match was one of Ramon Delgado conquering yet another tennis legend and entrenching the reigning WTT Male MVP as the league’s dominant singles player.

Six days after beating Michael Chang and securing a Breakers victory, Delgado beat Agassi in the final set of the night and the Breakers, beginning their season-ending, four-match homestand, withstood the Agassi challenge and captured a 23-18 victory.

"I only beat them when they retire," Delgado joked. "It really pumps me up to play these guys, but it’s really an honor. At least I can say I beat him (Agassi) once. We played four times (on the ATP Tour). We played in the U.S. Open, in the third round in 2001 and 2002. One other time, I had match points against him."

The Breakers (7-4) will clinch the Western Conference’s second and final playoff spot Sunday with a win at home against the Sacramento Capitals, a team the Breakers have beaten in each of their three matchups this season. The Breakers last made the playoffs in 2006, the last of three consecutive years in which the team reached the WTT Finals. The Springfield Lasers (10-0), WTT’s only perfect team, have clinched the Western Conference crown and will host the WTT playoffs’ Western Conference final on July 24.

"To go 4-0 against Sacramento would be great," Breakers second-year player and Newport Beach native Kaes Van’t Hof said. "Sacramento is definitely our rival. With them, we have NorCal-SoCal."

Agassi, the former World No.1 who retired from the ATP Tour since 2006, made his WTT debut in Orange County Friday in front of his wife, women’s tennis legend and longtime World No. 1 Steffi Graf, two children, and friend and Laguna Beach resident Lindsay Davenport. He opened the match with a win in mixed doubles with Lisa Raymond, played to the crowd with multiple gestures and elicited oohs and aahs with his shot-making.

Delgado and Van’t Hof topped Agassi and Nathan Healey in men’s doubles, 5-2, to rally the Breakers to their first lead of the night, 13-12, after three sets. Marie-Eve Pelletier and Julie Ditty gave the Breakers a 18-15 lead by defeating Lisa Raymond and Madison Keys in women’s doubles, 5-3. Delgado closed out the match with an impressive set of serving and groundstrokes in a 5-2 victory over Agassi.

"Today I was reflecting on when I used to watch him (Agassi). I was born in 1986 so my whole junior career, I was watching him," Van’t Hof said. "I idolized him. We played well tonight. I’m getting confidence because Ramon and I are the best doubles team in the league."

Agassi, 39, played the last of two matches for Philadelphia (4-7) on Friday. This WTT season marked his return to organized professional tennis since retiring from the ATP Tour in 2006. He previously played in WTT for Sacramento from 2002-04. He is the only player in tennis history to win all four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal, at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Agassi won Wimbledon in 1992, the U.S. Open in 1994 and 1999, the Australian Open in 1995, 2000, 2001 and 2003, and the 1999 French Open.

"The first reason why I'm playing World TeamTennis is because of (Breakers co-owner and WTT co-founder) Billie Jean (King)," Agassi said. "The short answer is she asked me. The long answer is I have a great deal of respect for her contributions to tennis, to sports, to anybody who has a daughter, anybody who has a mother. She has changed the landscape for all of us. I forgot how competitive it is. I thought it would just be pretty easy, play five games, you get to sit down. But it's highly competitive.

"If I can come out here and make a difference and people have fun as a result of it, I get to see a lot of old friends, get to connect with a game that's been very kind to me, then that's a win across the board. This is a great environment to do it."

Agassi, teaming with two-time WTT Female MVP, two-time WTT champion and nine-time Grand Slam doubles champion Raymond, helped the Freedoms to a first-set tiebreaker victory, 5-4. Full of smiles, Agassi buckled down in the tiebreaker and won the last two points of the tiebreak with a lunging backhand return down the line and a backhand volley down the middle of the court to take the tiebreak, 5-2.

The Breakers’ task didn’t get easier in the second set of the night, women’s singles, against Philadephia’s Madison Keys, the youngest player in WTT this season at 14. Keys has played beyond her years this week, already dispatching reigning Wimbledon champion Serena Williams 5-1 on Monday. The Breakers’ Marie-Eve Pelletier put up a valiant fight, but fell to the junior phenom, 5-4 (5-3 in the tiebreak).

Before the match, Kronemann was honored by WTT Commissioner Ilana Kloss for his 20 years of WTT service as a player and coach.

A limited amount of tickets are available for the Maria Sharapova package – a two-match package for $60 that includes admission to the Breakers’ next match, 7:05 p.m. Sunday, July 19 against Sacramento, as well as their regular season finale on Wednesday, July 22 vs. Kansas City, a match in which Maria Sharapova will play for the Breakers – and the Breakers’ July 21 match vs. John McEnroe and the New York Sportimes. Tickets and team information can be obtained at www.NewportBeachBreakers.com or by calling the ticket office at 714-352-6301

ASHEVILLE — The tennis exhibition scheduled Aug. 6 between Marat Safin and Novak Djokovic at the Asheville Civic Center has been cancelled.
Instead, Safin will appear in an exhibition on Aug. 28 at the Civic Center against eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi.
Safin, formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, has won two grand Slam titles. Agassi, 39, retired in 2006 having won 60 men's tour championships.

“We are honored to have such tennis greats as Andre and Marat play the very first Grand Slam Asheville,” said Brian Woods, the event’s promoter and a local sports agent. “This will be Andre’s first exhibition match against an active player since his retirement and the biggest tennis exhibition of the year.”

ASHEVILLE — The tennis exhibition scheduled Aug. 6 between Marat Safin and Novak Djokovic at the Asheville Civic Center has been cancelled.
Instead, Safin will appear in an exhibition on Aug. 28 at the Civic Center against eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi.
Safin, formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, has won two grand Slam titles. Agassi, 39, retired in 2006 having won 60 men's tour championships.

“We are honored to have such tennis greats as Andre and Marat play the very first Grand Slam Asheville,” said Brian Woods, the event’s promoter and a local sports agent. “This will be Andre’s first exhibition match against an active player since his retirement and the biggest tennis exhibition of the year.”

This will be Andre’s first exhibition match against an active player since his retirement and the biggest tennis exhibition of the year.”

Really good news, thank you Camilia
I expect nice tennis. Maratik is not that hero anymore but he is still active player and will try to win vs. great Andre...
We would be able support Andre as it was earlier ...

This will be Andre’s first exhibition match against an active player since his retirement and the biggest tennis exhibition of the year.”

Really good news, thank you Camilia
I expect nice tennis. Maratik is not that hero anymore but he is still active player and will try to win vs. great Andre...
We would be able support Andre as it was earlier ...

You're welcome
I'm afraid I'll have to cheer for both of them, I love Maratik too He is a great player and he can play amazing tennis when his head is in the right place. He just defeated Pete Sampras 6-4,3-6, 10-6 two days ago. So, I expect the match to be a great match

You're welcome
I'm afraid I'll have to cheer for both of them, I love Maratik too He is a great player and he can play amazing tennis when his head is in the right place. He just defeated Pete Sampras 6-4,3-6, 10-6 two days ago. So, I expect the match to be a great match

OK Camilia!

My most favorite player is Andre.
Do you know may be the age difference? Pete and Marat?

Sorana Cirstea couldn't overcome her aching foot or the powerful and steady serving of Samantha Stosur Saturday afternoon, losing her L.A. Women's Open semifinal 6-3, 6-2. But Cirstea, a 19-year-old from Romania, was excited to speak about some time she spent training in Las Vegas with Gil Reyes, Andre Agassi's former trainer, and Darren Cahill, Agassi's one-time coach.

"It was 115 degrees or something outdoors," Cirstea said. "At the beginning I couldn't breathe. I was actually hitting with Andre. His balls are going so deep and he is playing so well and he is so fit, I think he can still play at this moment. He was trying to tell me a few things, but I was so excited to be on court with him."

Agassi is married to Cirstea's tennis idol, Steffi Graf. "I remember watching Steffi on TV, so to see her face-to-face was a great thing," Cirstea said.